Portable hand spray pump



sepml, 1951 G. c. PITTENGER PORTABLE HAND SPRAY PUMP Filed Oct. 30,` 1947 man Patented Sept. 11, 1951 PORTABLE HAND SPRAY PUMP Glenn C. Pittenger, Kirkwood, Mo., assigner to Ralston Purina Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application October 30, 1947, Serial No. 783,139

l Ihis invention relates to hand spray pumps, and with regard to certain more specific features, to portable pumps of the type known generally as the reciprocating trombone type of pump.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a reciprocating hand spray pump incorporating an air expansion chamber for effecting a continuous spray during and between normal reciprocating movements; the provision of a pump of the class described wherein no appendage is required for incorporating the expansion chamber except such as serves an additional useful purpose, thereby simplifying the construction; and the provision of a pump of this class wherein the part providing the expansion chamber is normally held in a proper position to ensure satisfactory operation, thereby simplifying the operation. Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a pump embodying the invention; and,

2 Claims. (Cl. 299-97) Fig. 2 is an elevation illustrating `operation and showing in dotted lines an alternative spray position.

Similar reference characters indicate correy sponding, parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Reciprocating hand-operated sprayers for insecticides and. the like should be as light and convenient as possible and should preferably produce a continuous spray with minimum effort.A

The production of a continuous spray, even in the case of a double-acting pump, requires an air expansion or air cushion chamber. These are often quite bulky and particularlyl so when one also forms a liquid sump carried with the sprayer. where any substantial amount of spray fluid is to be carried, the fluid spray chamber is'separate from the pump but this requiresqan airf tight drum which is expensive.

A so-called trombone style of pump receives lits fluid through a suction tube inserted into a To lighten such pumps, particularly c, 2 heretofore because of the bulk. Consequently, the ow is uneven, being in proportion to the instantaneous piston velocity. This is true despite the fact that this type of pump is doubleacting. Thus the flow is zero at the ends of the stroke when the piston is stationary for an instant. An important advantage of the tromvbone style of pump is that the parts are arranged for comfortably effecting long, powerful strokes. The present invention makes available on such a pump a reliably operative air expansion chamber for producing a. continuous spray without undesirable structural or functional complications.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, numeral I shows the barrel or cylinder of a trombone style of pump, at one end of which is a suction inlet, ball check valve 3. This check valve Y is in communication with a flexible suction hose 5 which leads to a supply 'Lof insecticide (for example) in a separate container 9, which may if desired be open or without super-atmospheric pressure. The barrel I carries an external grip 2. A reciprocative hollow pump rod II passes through packing I3 in the head I5 of the cylinder I.

At the rear of the hollow pump rod II is carried a suitably packed sliding piston Il. The packing is indexed as I6. Associated with the pistonll is an inlet ball check valve I9 for admitting fluid to the hollow rod Il upon a, -back stroke, and trapping the fluid ahead of the piston upon a forward stroke. Ahead of the check valve I9 is a strainer 20. There are also com separate liquid sump (an open bucket, for example). No air cushion chamber has been used munications 35 in the wall of the pump rod II extending between the interior of the rod and the interior of the barrel I.

The front end of the rod II is in communication with a hub 2I in which is a .cross passage 23. On the opposite side of the hub 2| (beyond the piston rod Il) isan angled outlet pipe 25 at the end of which is a suitable spray nozzle 21. At the nozzle 21 is an outlet check valve 29. Alternative downward and upward directed positions which the spray nozzle may assume are shown by solid and dotted lines, respectively, in

' the hub 2 I. These form a cruciform relationship with the piston rod. Thus the interiors of the handles 3 I and 33 are in communication with one l another only through the cross passage 23; that is to say .the chambers which they form have septhrough said cross passage 23. The handles II and II are of generally cylindric shape, each being closed at one end and attached at the other end to the hub 2l so as to open into the hub. Together, the handles may be considered anelongated hollow member joined in cruciform relation with the piston rod.

'I'he mode of operation of the device is shown in Fig. 2, wherein it will be seen that one armcf the operator (a left arm in the illustration) is extended so that he may grasp the handle 'II,' II. The normal natural grasping position for ashand so extended is vertical, as shown. This leaves the other hand for gripping the cylinder I, the

other arm being ne'ar the body. By relative-` motion between the hands (like a motion applied to a trombone), pumping action is brought about. 'I'hus long, powerful and effective strokes are easily accomplished,

Operation is as follows: v Assume that the pump has been primed by initial operation to expel air. Upon a forward stroke of the piston I1 (away from valve I), liquid will flow from the supply 1 in the container l through the suction hose 5 and in through the check valve I. Upon a backward stroke, the charge in the barrel I is trapped by the check valve I and under compression flows through check valve II and ahead ofthe piston I1. Since.

the hollow rod II and the barrel I ahead of the piston are already full by reason of the communications I5 and prior priming operation, the equivalent of the transferred liquid proceeds out through the pipe 25, outlet check valve 29 and through the nozzle 21 as a suitable spray. This accomplishes the rearward spraying stroke. Upon the next forward stroke, another charge is introduced behind the piston I1 and the charge in the barrel I ahead of the piston is forced outthrough the communications Il, rod II, pipe 2l and nozzle 21.

Thus it will be seen that a double-acting pumping operation occurs. Only the lower half of the handle I I, II will iill with liquid while the upper half will have air trapped in it to function as a compressive cushion for maintaining continuous pressure and flow between reciprocations. In other words zero values in the pressure surges are eliminated so as to obtain a continuous spray.

Since the normal position of the hand for horizontal position of the hand is not a conabove the other (not horizontal). The term upvenient one for pumping. Thus not only is the right" as used in the following claimsis therefore intended to be construed broadly to refer to all operating positions of the handle I I, II which are substantially removed from the horizontal.

It may be noted that the common plane of the handle parts Il and II includes the central directional .line of the pipe 2l and nozzle 21. Thus it is easy to direct a spray up or down without destroying the air cushion -which will autos matically form in one or another of the members II or II. In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As many changes could be made in the above constructions, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shbwn in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim-z l. In a double-acting hand spray pump of the trombone type which includes a cylinder and a relatively reciprocalhollow piston rod extending from the one end of the cylinder and having a nozzle rigidly attached thereto; the provision of an elongate hollow handle member affixed to the piston rod where the piston rod extends from the cylinder, the elongate handle member being amxed in cruciform relation with the piston rod, and a passage connecting the inside of the piston rod with the inside of the handle member 'at their holding the handle II, I3 is more or less upright,

it will be certain that at least one of the handle elements II or II will always be directed upward, so that such element may properly func-v4 tion as an air expansion chamber. When the parts are held in the solid-line position, the spray is directed downward. If it is desired to direct the spray upward, the handle II. II is rotated through for a new hand grip thereon, thus REFERENCES CITED The following references are of recordin the.

file of this patent:

UNrrnrD s'ra'rss PATENTS Number Name. Date '151,238 Yost reb.. 2, '1904 1,995,424 Guinness Mar'. 26, 1935 2,271,686 Fitzgerald Fellv 3,1942 2,348,190 Bunge; May 9, y1944.

FOREIGN Pa'rnNTs Number Country Date 165,736 Switzerland Feb. 16, 1934 .751.#29 rance June 19,1933 

